"If Wout van Aert finds those Vuelta legs again, he will definitely take the Maglia Rosa" - Nathan van Hooydonck makes Giro d'Italia prediction

After a solid Spring for Wout van Aert went unrewarded, the Belgian heads into his Giro d'Italia debut later this week still searching for a first win of the 2025 season. If he were to take it on the opening stage, a Maglia Rosa would of course, completing the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader's set of Grand Tour leader's jerseys.

One man who knows Van Aert better than most, is the now-retired former Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider Nathan van Hooydonck, who has since forged a career for himself as an expert analyst. Joining the latest episode of the ‘Wuyts & Vlaeminck’ podcast for HLN, Van Hooydonck previewed his friend's chances of taking the Maglia Rosa, sounding relatively positive, despite the lack of wins on Van Aert's palmares so far in 2025.

“Wout is aiming for a stage win. That would mean he’s won a stage in all three Grand Tours. I think that’s definitely one of his goals," begins Van Hooydonck. And as mentioned, the Belgian is confident his compatriot can succeed in that goal, with the 29-year-old seemingly having some inside information on the condition of Van Aert heading into the Grand Tour. "I also believe he’s taken another step forward since Paris-Roubaix.”

In search of that improvement required to turn podium finishes into victories, Van Aert has spent time in Tuscany recently, on, as Van Hooydonck succinctly puts it, “a sort of private training camp.”

With crashes and injuries still fresh in Van Aert and his fans' memories following a nightmare season in 2024, it's one of the highlights of last campaign that Van Hooydonck wants Van Aert to focus on. A sparkling performance at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana before it was ended in the third week by a nasty crash. “Back then, he dictated the race on stages where you wouldn’t expect it. That’s when he’s at his best, both physically and mentally," explains Van Hooydonck in conclusion. "And if he finds those legs again, there’s no doubt he’ll take the pink leader’s jersey.”